Message from the President/CEO

Annual Report Series

Message from the President/CEO |  Build Your Network & Learn with Others in the Industry | Chart Your Course with Market Insights | Reach More Customers While Keeping up with Trends | Influence the Future of Fluid Power

Each year’s annual report is an opportunity for us to look in two directions—back at the year just ending and ahead at the year to come…

As we review our performance and activities during the 2020-21 fiscal year, you’ll see a number of new and continued efforts that highlight the importance of the fluid power industry as well as programs that provide the tools for the continued success of our members in the future. Highlights looking back and looking forward include:

• Our Annual Conference, remains one of the top industry networking events for the fluid power community. The 2021 conference was held virtually, and based on the evaluation results, the conference featured perhaps the best line-up of speakers we’ve ever had, as well as numerous networking opportunities, including some in-person at a small networking event we hosted at the same time in Arizona.
• The newly rebranded NFPA/FPIC Quarterly Conferences have continued to give members the opportunity to network while learning about and sharing technological innovations impacting fluid power. Our members were joined by an increasing number of OEMs at these events in their new online format.
• Valuable updates were made to our Regional Demand Estimates Report and Stats Toolkit to help members make better sense of the marketplace to better position their businesses.
• The planning cycle for IFPE 2023 is underway, with a new IFPE Management Committee formed and now meeting to set the exhibitor, attendee, and marketing objectives of the show. As we have done for several cycles now, NFPA’s focus will be on continuing to expand the technological scope of the show, further increasing the representation of industrial and pneumatic suppliers and customers.
• The Roadmap Committee is in its biennial process to update the NFPA Technology Roadmap. This process brings together a wide cross section of the fluid power supply chain to accomplish three key outcomes: (1) Describe the evolving needs of our customers; (2) Assess fluid power’s ability to meet those needs; and (3) Identify R&D objectives that will help fluid power better meet those needs in the future. The resulting document will be released later in 2021.
• We now have two Fast Track Hubs up and running, one in Wisconsin and the second in Illinois, each promoting fluid power to middle school students, providing high school students with real fluid power education, and directing them into two-year degree programs at designated technical schools. Our members are beginning to hire these students.
• We hosted another successful Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, which this year expanded to two final events, connecting a record-breaking number of students and industry members.

The following report details these and many other accomplishments aligned with our mission of strengthening the fluid power industry. Our four primary goals remain:

• Providing an effective fluid power forum where NFPA members, OEMs, and related technology partners connect and advance our collective interests.
• Providing members with timely and accurate industry statistics and business intelligence that support improved decision-making
• Providing opportunities and resources for members to promote the unique strengths and inherent advantages offered by modern fluid power technology
• Helping increase the number of technical college and university students educated in fluid power and connecting them to careers in the fluid power industry.

Thank you for your continued membership and for joining us on this important journey.

Make the Most of Your Membership

1. Attend an event to connect with industry leaders
   Visit NFPAHub.com/events/ to learn more about upcoming connection opportunities.
2. Join a committee to impact the future of the industry
   Visit NFPA.com to learn more about association governance, standards development, and other engagement opportunities.
3. Use exclusive market information to make better business decisions
   Visit NFPAHub.com/stats/ to learn more about and access reports and data available to NFPA members.
4. Take advantage of tools to uncover data insights
   Visit NFPAHub.com/stats/ to learn more about and access the NFPA Stats Toolkit.
5. Reach customers and promote the industry as a whole
   Visit NFPAHub.com/events/ to learn more about upcoming trade show opportunities and NFPA.com to find fluid power industry information to share with your customers.
6. Help build the future workforce
   Visit NFPA.com to learn more about and make a donation to support our latest workforce development programs.